Crossfit Weight GAIN!!

So I recently started doing Crossfit and I have been staying within my daily caloric allowance, one would assume the number on scale would go down, right? WRONG! It just keeps going up. Not by a lot but still a gain of about 3-5lbs is a big deal to me. It's so hard for me to lose that and when I gain it over night it is very discouraging. I really enjoy crossfit. Will the scale eventually go down? Has anyone else had a similar experience? HELP?!

Replies

  • born2drum
    born2drum Posts: 731 Member
    Crossfit is usually HIIT so you shouldn't be gaining unless you're a noob. In otherwords, they could simply be noob gains which is good.

    What are your stats?
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    Just like any new exercise program, you will put on some water weight at the beginning. It's normal and expected.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    It's not unusual to see a slight gain on the scale when you start or increase an exercise program. Our bodies flood sore muscles with extra water and glycogen to help cushion and repair them. Drink plenty of fluids and wait it out.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Just like any new exercise program, you will put on some water weight at the beginning. It's normal and expected.

    Yup....water. Your muscles need it for repair.
  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
    You actually answered your own question as to why that is happening. Whenever you start something new your body always puts on water weight to prepare for muscle use. As a rule, you shouldn't weigh yourself for about a month after starting something new to allow your body to adjust and the water weight to recede.
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
    What the others said. Also, I know in CF they preach the Paleo lifestyle, which FOR ME made me eat more calories than usual, so I'd just be sure you're sticking to your usual calorie allotment. Just because you're doing CF doesn't mean you have to stop counting...big mistake a lot of people make.
  • When I trained crossfit and did paleo, I lost inches more than anything. They actually advised me not to step on the scale everyday but rather take measurements and go by how your clothes are fitting. You will be gaining more muscle and muscle weighs more than fat so it is expected to fluctuate weight. I hated the scale because it was super discouraging but if you can limit it to once a week or every other week you'll be ok.